Family Life
by meme les anges tombent
Summary: When two children show up on Hodgins' door step, one claiming to be Zack's Daughter, how will Zack react to them? Will he keep them or send them away? how will he react when the past comes back to haunt them? A/N: not as sucky as sounds. M for child abuse


LizzyPOV

"Ok get out, Spawn. Walk 'till you find a mailbox or some shit that says Hodgins. You'll find your father there." The woman said, taking a blindfold off my eyes and giving me a threatening look. "I'm taking Edwin with me." I tried to sound strong, but my voice was shaky "you said I could" I added softly. "I told you to stop calling him that stupid name and to stop talking like that. You've never even met that damn man and you talk like him. Anyway, that boy's just an 'it', like you. But I don't want him, so take him if you want." She shrugged coldly "Bet your father won't want him, though." Even if that was true, I wasn't leaving Edwin with this woman, no one else would protect him from her. I grabbed both our backpacks, which were heavier than Edwin so I had to carry both, and jumped out of the old, beat up car. I was tired from the really long flight and then the drive, but that didn't make me any slower. I shook Edwin awake. He was so small, even for a three year old. I pushed his bright red hair out of his face as he opened his bright blue eyes **(pic on profile)** "Come on" I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the car after me. The woman didn't even say good-bye. As soon as I shut the door, she was speeding down the street. "Lizzy, where we goin'?" Edwin asked, still wiping sleep from his eyes. "Where are we going" I corrected, and then answered "To find my Father." "I don't got no father" he said sadly. "I don't have a father" I corrected and he repeated me, nodding. We walked for a really long time; I checked every mailbox on both sides of the street. After walking for about an hour, Edwin said "Lizzy , my legs hurt. Where your father at?" I was about to tell him I didn't know, when I saw the mailbox that read 'Hodgins' "Right there." I said pointing to the driveway. We walked up the driveway and came to a bunch of men in black suits standing, in groups, on either side of a closed gateway. "Kid, this is privet property. State your business." A very ugly man said in a stern voice. "I am looking for my father. He lives here." I said, mimicking his voice. "Dr. Hodgins isn't missing any children" the man said jokingly and the other men laughed. "I apologize for your incompetence, sir." I said the sir like it was a swear word "I said my father lives here, not that he is Dr. Hodgins." I smiled, a crooked smile that usually made the woman swear and call me 'Addy's spawn'. "Then who is your father, smartass?" "Lizzy, that's a bad man." Edwin said, in a small voice, and hid behind me. "How am I a bad man?" the man sounded skeptical. "Men who say bad words are bad men." I had taught this to Edwin when he was every young. When men swore at us we knew to stay away from them, but that didn't mean men who don't swear are good. "Just tell me who your father is, kid, so I can see if he's here." the man said. "Zack Addy" I said and his eyes grew wide. "Dr. Addy doesn't have kids." He said. "Not that he knows of, at least" I stated, smiling crookedly. "I'll call him. Stay here." He said walking away from us and into a small booth. A few minutes later he came out, with a big, blocky telephone to his ear "where you from, kid?" he asked "Dearborn Heights, Michigan." I said. Even though the woman never let me outside, she told me the city and state we lived in so I could tell my father. "Yes sir." The man nodded into the telephone, then hung up. "C'mon" the man said and started to walk into the booth.

I started to fallow, when Edwin fell forward. "ow" he said and I helped him up. Most toddlers would cry from that fall, but not Edwin. He had to be stronger than most toddlers, and he was. "You okay, kid?" a nice looking man asked. He wasn't dressed like the others; he wore casual clothes and had curly, dirty blonde hair that grew up, defying the laws of gravity and a short beard and mustache of the same color. He had laughing, blue eyes, a nice smile, and I could tell he was strong. "Yes, sir. I wasn't paying attention when Lizzy moved and I fell, but I'm alright. Thank you for asking." The ugly man looked shocked at Edwin's politeness. We were nice to people who were nice to us. The nice man knelt down next to us "You two look very tired." We both nodded "Yes, sir". He reached behind me and slid the backpacks off each of my shoulders "No wonder. These are heavy for a little girl. "Your daddy isn't here right now." He explained, then offered "Would you like to come up to my house until her gets here?" I nodded politely "That would be very nice of you, sir" I smiled crookedly. He threw our backpacks to the ugly man "I don't see how you could miss the resemblance, Roberts. She talks just like Zack and she looks like him too." He turned back to us "ready?" I nodded, sleepily. I was way too exhausted to walk for much longer. "Come here." The nice man gestured for us to come to him. We did as he said and he picked us up. At first I was scared he wasn't really a nice man, but I couldn't prove it, so I let him carry us both, and darkness invade me.

"_Where the hell are you, Addy's spawn!?" The woman's words were slurred and rose at odd places. I picked up a one year old Edwin and put him in the very back of the closet "Stay quiet and don't come out until I come get you." I said, handing him a water bottle. He was young, but understood everything I said. I closed the door and ran to hide under the bed we shared with Jimmy, the favorite child of the woman. Jimmy wasn't in the room, thank god. He always told her where I was hiding and laughed every time she struck me. I heard her fumble with the lock on the other side of the bedroom door. "Damn it where is it" I knew she was referring to me. The door flung open and I scooted harder against the wall. She swore as she looked for me behind everything in the small room. I held my breath as she opened the closet door, but she would see him. He always held still and I hid him well. She slammed the door so hard the room shook. Then she found me. She drug me out by my hair and began hitting me. I knew not to cry, no matter what, that would make it all worse. "I told you to stop trying to hide, damn it!" she said between connections. She threw me to the ground, it hurt so bad but I still didn't cry. "Now get out here and meet your new dad." She slurred. There was a new 'dad' almost every week. They liked to hit me too. They hit harder than the woman and sometimes I cried, despite my knowledge of that making it worse. I walked into the living room to see a strong, drunk man lying on the couch. "Hello, it. I'm dad." He slurred. I just stood there, waiting for him to come over and start hitting me. "Ca m'ere, kid" he sloppily gestured for me to go to him. Sensing the woman behind me I walked over to him. "Your real pretty, but I think you need a bath." He said "don't be offended, I do too." "Well the bathroom is right here, hunny. Why don't you two take a bath, bond a little?" The woman asked with a devilish grin. What was she thinking now? Would he get me all wet, and then hit me so it hurt more? I didn't know, but I did know to do what I'm told. The man got up and walked into the bathroom, dragging me with him. There was already a bath run. "You can go first, mister." I said as politely as I could. "We're taking a bath together, kid. And I said call me dad." He sounded angry. "Yes, sir. My apologies." I said. He hit me "Call me Dad!" he was yelling now. "yes..Dad" I put my hand on my cheek where he had struck me. "I don't mean to be mean, but you have to do as I say." He said as he undressed me and placed me into the tub. He undressed himself and joined me. "Stand up so I can wash you." He ordered, I did. He washed me slowly "You really are pretty" I felt weird. "All clean." He said, pulling me to sit down. "Have you ever seen one of these?" he asked touching his privets. I nodded "Edwin has one because he is a boy. I changed him." I stated. "oh" he said "well when dads and daughters love each other they use these" he touched my privets too "to make each other happy. Want me to show you?" he asked I shook my head no "Say 'yes, dad'" he said angrily "Yes, d-dad" my voice was shaky. He picked me up and held me over him. "good" he whispered and shoved me down on him. I screamed at the pain "Stop, please it hurts" I pleaded. "Call me dad if you want me to answer you" he ordered. "Please dad, stop" I repeated. He picked me up. With a wicked smile he said "nope" and shoved me down harder that before. "please dad" I screamed in pain. "feels good don't it?" I shook my head "Say 'it feels real good dad. Do it harder' or I'll never stop" he threatened. I repeated him. He started to bounce faster and faster. It hurt so bad I was screaming and crying. _"STOP" I screamed and sat up

ZackPOV

Today I took a taxi back to Hodgins' house. I reviewed case files all the way home. The taxi stopped at the gate. I gave the man more money than necessary, but didn't ask for change. I was too involved in the case. A beautiful six year old girl had been beaten, by her father, to the point of her death with a blunt object. All he had to do was prove it was him by finding the murder weapon. "Dr. Addy, you'll never believe what happened today." The security guard said. "I don't care, Roberts." I said, walking past him to the trail that lead to the apartment above my best friend's garage "You have to go see Dr. Hodgins, sir" Roberts informed me. I changed my path without taking my eyes off the papers in front of me. It was a long way, but I needed the time to try to find the weapon, so I walked. I was mumbling to myself when I walked into Hodgins' mansion. "Hodgins!" I yelled. "Uncle Zack, Uncle Zack, Uncle Zack." Two blonde haired, blue eyed, boys ran up to me **(pic on profile)** "Jack, Marcus, what is it?" I asked, looking up from my work for the first time all day. "We figured out how to make an explosion out of pneumonia and something when haven't named yet!" they said in unison. "Ammonia" I said. "What?" Junior asked. I went to explain, but was beaten to it. "Ammonia is the compound of nitrogen and hydrogen; pneumonia is an illness." Hodgins explained. "Ooooh." The twins laughed and ran off. "What're they doing with ammonia?" he raised his eyebrows. "Creating an explosion" I shrugged, they were his kids, after all. "DO IT OUTSIDE OR YOU'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOUR MOTHER!" Hodgins' warning made me laugh "YES DADDY!" they replied. "no six year old should be mixing chemicals the way they do." I laughed, shaking my head. "You're just mad they compared your DNA to a monkey" he retorted "An ape. Anyway, what is it you wanted, Hodgins. Roberts said you needed to see me." I informed. "Yeah. Uh…" He rubbed his head. "should I be worried at your reluctance to tell me?" I asked. "Maybe." He laughed awkwardly "Did you know you had kids?"

I looked at him, shocked "I don't have any children, Hodgins. You know that." "Come see." I followed him into a bedroom, not too far from the door. Inside the room two children lay curled up in each others' arms, asleep. The girl had long, wavy, blonde hair** (pic on profile)**; she looked uneasy. The boy had bright red hair and looked peaceful. I could see the similarity between the girl's bone structure and my own, but the boy looked nothing like me. "She talks like you too." Hodgins informed. "Are you Lizzy's father?" I was shocked to hear the small boy speak. "Who is your father?" I asked him. He shrugged "I don't know, sir. Lizzy said the woman doesn't even know my father." "Who is 'the woman'?" I asked. He thought for a moment "Um… there is a father and then there is… the woman?" he more asked than said. "A mother." I clarified. He looked like he wanted to smile at my clarification, but only nodded. "What is your name?" I asked, smiling at him. "The woman just calls me 'it', but Lizzy calls Edwin." He said. "STOP!" the girl, Lizzy, shot up. "NO STOP, PLEASE. IT HURTS" she brought her legs to her chest and buried her head. "Lizzy, it was just a dream." Edwin shook her. I couldn't help, but go to her. "Lizzy?" I asked. Her head shot up. She was crying. "I am Zack Addy. Edwin and Hodgins tell me I am your father." I stated. She reached out and touched my face. "When is your birthday?" I asked, she looked reluctant, but answered "September 26, 2002" I mentally calculated who I slept with it December of 2001. I couldn't remember her name, but I could picture her. I was in Michigan for Christmas at the time. So I started asking questions. "What is your mother's name?" "I don't know.""Where are you from?" "Dearborn heights, Michigan" That fit, but obviously there was nothing more to ask about where they were from. "Why is it that you and your brother speak of your mother as 'the woman'?" as soon as I asked her head fell. "She doesn't deserve a parental title, as far as we're concerned. Our older brother, Jason, calls her 'mommy'" she said 'mommy' as if she were a very young child. "Where is she now?" I continued questioning. Lizzy shrugged "I really don't know. She dropped up off down the road and told us the look for something with the name 'Hodgins' on it. We walked for about an hour and then met the ugly, mean man at the gate." I heard Hodgins chuckle lightly "then we met that nice man" she pointed to him "and he carried us to" she looked around "wherever we are now. Dr. Hodgins: Why do you live with him? Where did you meet him? Is he a mean landlord? Does he have any children? Does he hate children? Will he hate me?" she was talking very fast, but it was easy for me to understand her. I chuckled "He lets me rent out an apartment above his garage. Work. No. Yes. No. I don't believe so." "Will I get to meet him?" she asked, which made me confused "haven't you already met?" she shook her head "No, sir" I looked back at my best friend "care to introduce yourself?" he walked up to the two children "Hello, I'm Dr. Jack Hodgins. Welcome to my home." He held out his hand and I saw both children flinch and cover their faces. He looked back at me, then at them. They lowered their hands slowly. "Did you he was going to hit you?" I asked, a little too harshly, making them flinch again. Why was I getting so angry over these children that probably weren't even mine? It is illogical. "Sorry, sir." Edwin said softly and took Hodgins' hand "nice to meet you, sir." He let go and Hodgins reached towards Lizzy "I, too, am sorry." She shook his hand. "No need to be sorry kids, but why did you think he was going to hit you?" I asked. "Well, the woman…" Edwin started "No, Edwin" Lizzy warned in a low voice. I knelt next to the siblings "I would enjoy it very much if you would explain your actions to me." I stated. Lizzy swallowed a little loud "the woman hits us a lot. But the men are always worse." "The men?" Hodgins asked, knelling next to me. Edwin nodded "The woman brings men to the house with her. They usually make us call them 'dad'. They hit harder and more. Lizzy gets taken away a lot. We try to hide, but Jason tells the woman where we are, most of the time. When Lizzy leaves she screams a lot. They usually carry her back and-" Lizzy cut him off "Enough you loud mouth brat! Say away from me!" She shoved her brother down and ran past him and out the door. "Elizabeth!" I called after her. "Let her go, Zack. If she gets lost, we'll find her before dinner." Hodgins ordered and I nodded. Turning my attention back to Edwin and helping him off the floor "She's just angry right now. Can you tell me what those men do to her?" I had to know, even if she wasn't really my child, I don't know why. Edwin shook his head "I don't know exactly. She always comes back crying. Whenever I ask, she says the men do really mean and painful things to her and that they hurt worse than any beating ever could. It scares me that they hurt her so much." He whipped his eyes very quickly and looked at me sadly. I forced a tight smile "you are safe right now." "How about you come help me and Zack with dinner? Our friends are coming over tonight and you get to meet them and their children." The boy agreed and we walked out of the room. "This is one of those situations when a person would say 'thank god for friends like you'" I stated in a whisper. "Then pretend you're a person and say it" Hodgins stated seriously, and I did.


End file.
